Retaining wall collapsing, engineers concerned

Drivers who use County Road 77, also known as Sinclair Avenue in Steubenville, could be facing some big delays in the near future. The retaining wall along the side of the road is starting to fall, and that has officials concerned.

The road, the busiest in Jefferson County, looks fine now, but engineers said it could begin to crumble.

"The retaining wall in this section is old and failing. And inadvertently, the private bridge has failed, as well," County Bridge Engineer Jeff Oinonen said.

Fortunately, Oinonen said no one lives there. What has him worried is the fact that this is happening at several spots along the road.

"We will excavate 65 feet of this wall section, replace it with a gabion retaining wall, which is caged rocks, and pour concrete cap in for the bridge to be put back on top of it," Oinonen explained.

He said it will cost the county about $50,000. During the repairs, the road will likely be closed despite the fact about 8,000 cars drive on it each day.

However, without the fix, Oinonen said even bigger problems could arise, like a road slip.

"With the retaining wall failing, it retains the hillside and the road and even utilities under it. There is a buried gas line, as well," said Oinonen.

With the debris still left in the creek, he said there could be a flood threat as well if the county sees any heavy rain before the repairs are made.

Oinonen said work should begin in about a month.

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Retaining wall collapsing, engineers concerned